Shoreline, What Shoreline?

The heavy rains in Toronto have really done a number on Toronto’s shoreline beaches and parks. One of the dog parks that I walk in regularly has become a little bit like Venice, where we are literally walking on land surrounded by little temporary lakes. And it is the same throughout the entire coastline of Lake Ontario in Toronto. Trees that once were upright along the waters edge have toppled, some barely hanging on at an angle, and others lying in the water.

That makes for a pretty interesting landscape, but it means massive destruction for a lot of trees and shrubs. And once the trees and shrubs–which hold the sandy soil in place–are toppled, the bank itself collapses. And then even more erosion continues.

I hope that some of these toppled trees will grow new roots and re-establish themselves, but sadly it’s unlikely for most of them.

The high water, coupled with waves have eroded the shoreline so badly in many areas that seeing yellow caution tape has become a normal sight. Not to mention the temporarily erected safety fences to stop you from plunging over a recently carved out cliff.

Toronto’s ravines are the much same in many cases, where riverbanks have overrun and new banks are being carved out. Many trees are down, and safety fences abound.

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Those Battersby Girls

Toronto Gardens is from the muddy hands of Helen Battersby and Sarah Battersby, sisters and neighbours who come from long lines of English gardeners. We garden in Toronto's east end, but poke our green noses into growing spaces all over.